/-•  1 7-  7  >  -? 


\pril  II,  19  8. 


U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE, 

BUR]   W    OF  II. ANT  INDUSTRY-    Circular  No.  5. 
B.  X.  GALLOWAY,  Chief  of  Bun 


BARLEY  CULTURE  IN  THE  NORTHERN 
GREAT  PLAIN'S. 


MARK   ALFRED  CARLETON, 
Cebi  \i  i>t  in  Charge  of  Grain  Investigations. 


WASHINGTON  :  GOVE*'.'.  OFFICE  :  1»08. 


BUREAU  OF  PLANT  INDUSTRY. 

Pathologist  and  Physiologist,  and  Chief  o)  Bureau,  Beverly  T.  Galloway. 

Pathologist  and  Physiologist,  and  Assistant  Chief  of  Bureau,  Albert  F.  w I 

Laboratory  of  Plant  Pathr/logn.  l'.rwin  F.  Smith,  Pathologist  in  Charge. 

TnVi  stigatiom  of  Diseases  of  Fruits,  Merton  B.  Walte,  Pathologist  in  Charge. 

Laboratory  of  Forest  Pathology,  Haven  Metcali,  Pathologist  in  Charge. 

Truck  Crop  Diseases  and  Plant  Disease  Survey,  William  A.  Orton.  Pathologist  in  Charge. 

Plant  Life  History  Investigations,  Walter  T.  Swingle,  Physiologist  in  Charge. 

Cotton  Breeding  Investigations,  Archibald  D.  Shamel  and  Daniel  N.  Shoemaker.  Physiologists  in  Charge. 

Tobacco  Investigations,  Archibald  D.  shamel,  Wightman  W.  Garner,  and  Ernest  II.  Mathewson,  in 

Charge. 
Corn  Investigations,  Charles  P.  ITartley,  Physiologist  in  Charge. 
Alkali  and  Drought  Resistant  Plant  Breeding  Investigations,   Thomas  If.  Kearney,  Physiologist  in 

Charge. 
Soil  Bacteriology  and   Water  Purification  Investigations,  Karl  F.  Kellerman,  Physiologist  in  Charge. 
Bionomic  Investigations  of  Tropical  and  Subtropical  Plants,  Orator  F.  Cook,  Bionomist  in  Charge. 
Drug  and  Poisonous  Plant  Investigations  and  Tea  Culture  Investigations,  Rodney  II.  True,  Physiologist 

in  Charge. 
Physical  Laboratory,  Lyman  J.  Briggs,  Physicist  in  Charge. 

Crop  Technology  and  Fiber  Plan'  Investigations,  Nathan  A.  Cobb,  Crop  Technologist  in  Charge. 
Taxonomic  and  Range  Investigations,  Frederick  V.  Coville,  Botanist  in  Charge, 
Farm  Management  Investigations.  William  J.  Spillman.  Agriculturist  in  Charge. 
Grain  Investigations,  Mark  Alfred  Carleton.  Cerealist  in  Charge. 
Arlington  Experimental  Farm,  Lee  C.  Corbett,  Horticulturist  in  Charge. 
Vegetable  Testing  Gardens,  William  W.  Tracy,  sr.,  Superintendent. 
Sugar-Beet  Investigations,  Charles  O.  Townsend,  Pathologist  in  Charge. 
Western  Agricultural  Extension  Investigations,  Carl  S.  Scofield,  Agriculturist  in  Charge. 
Dry-Land  Agriculture  Investigations,  F.  Channing  Chilcott,  Agriculturist  in  Charge. 
Pomological  Collections,  Gustavus  B.  Brackett,  Pomologist  in  Cha rge. 

Field  Investigations  in  Pomology,  William  A.  Taylor  and  G.  Harold  Powell,  Pomologists  in  Charge. 
Experimental  Gardens  and  Grounds,  Edward  M.  Byrnes.  Superintendent. 
Foreign  Seed  and  Plant  Introduction,  David  Fairchild,  Agricultural  Explorer  in  Charge. 
Forage  Crop  Investigations,  Charles  V.  Piper,  Agrostologist  in  Charge. 
Seed  Laboratory.  Edgar  Brown,  Botanist  ill  Charge. 
Grain  Standardization,  John  D.  Shanahan,  Expert  in  Charge 

Subtropical  Laboratory  and  Garden,  Miami.  Fla.,  Ernst  A.  Bessey,  Pathologist  in  Charge. 
Plant  Introduction  Garden,  Chico,  Ca'.,  August  Mayer,  Expert  in  Charge. 
South  Texas  Garden,  Brormsi  lib  ,  Tex.,  Edward  C.  Green,  Pomologist  in  Charge. 
Cotton  Culture  Farms  and  Farmers'  Cooperative  Demonstration  Work,  Seaman  A.  Knapp,  Special  Agent 

in  Charge 
Seed  Distribution  (Directed  by  Chief  of  Bureau1.,  Lisle  Morrison,  Assistant  in  General  Charge. 


Editor,  J.  E.  Rockwell. 
Chief  Clerk,  James  E.  Jones. 
[Circ.  5] 
2 


COX  T  I-  X  T  S. 


Page 

D(  velopmenl  of  the  industry 5 

Distincl  barley  districts 5 

i  omparison  oi  >  ields  of  differenl  varieties  in  the  northern  Greal  Plains  are 

Two-rowed  compared  with  six-rowed  barley 9 

Br I  hilt  better  strains    10 

Maintaining  pure  seed lu 

Cultivation 11 

of  barley 12 

[C'irc.  o\ 

3 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2013 


http://archive.org/details/barinnOOunit 


B.  P.  T.-36S. 


BARLEY  CULTURE  IN  THE  NORTHERN 
GREAT  PLAINS. 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  INDUSTRY.^ 

The  barlej  crop  throughout  the  larger  part  of  the  United  States  is 
one  thai  has  been  rapidly  growing  in  importance  in  recent  years.  Its 
growth  has  been  especially  rapid  in  the  north-central  State-  and  the 
northern  States  of  the  Great  Plain,-,  partly  at  least  because  of  the  fact 
thai  these  two  districts  are  particularly  well  adapted  for  barle}  culti- 
vation. It  is  also  true  thai  the  use  of  barley  in  stock  feeding  has 
increased  a  great  deal  in  recent  years. 

Preceding  the  year  1901,  the  largesl  crop  recorded  for  the  United 
State-  was  that  of  1895,  amounting  to  87,720,744  bushels.  In  1901 
there  was  a  crop  of  L09,932,924  bushels.  Since  thai  time  there  has 
been  a  fairly  constanl  increase,  until  in  1906  the  production  was 
178,916,484  bushels,  of  winch  38,725,400  were  harvested  in  North 
Dakota  and  Smith  Dakota.  These  figures  are  taken  from  the  Crop 
Reporter  of  tin-  Department,  issue  of  January,  inns.  From  the 
figures  given  in  tin-  same  publication  it  is  apparent,  also,  thai  there 
ha-  been  considerable  increase  in  the  yield  per  acre,  considering  the 
yield-  in  five-year  period-  for  the  pasl  foil  \  years.  'The  increase  in 
acre  yield-  1 1 1 : i x  he  largely  the  result  of  tin'  establishment  of  better 
\  arieties. 

DISTINCT  BARLEY  DISTRICTS. 

An  investigation  of  barley  cultivation  in  the  northern  States  cov- 
ering eighl  to  ten  year-,  conducted  by  the  Bureau  of  Plant  Indus- 
try in  cooperation  with  the  agricultural  experiment  stations  in  the 
differenl  States,  lead-  to  the  conclusion  that  there  are  two  rather 
well  marked  barley  districts  in  tin-  region.  One  extend-  over 
Wisconsin,  Minnesota,  and  adjacent  area-,  including  the  valle 
the   Re<4   River  of  the   North:  the  other  extend-  over  the  northern 

B  ireau  lias  conducted  investigations  with  barley  m  a  number  of 
points  in  Hi-   northern  Great  Plains  area,  and  a  considerable  amount  of  information  of 
urate  nature  with  respect  to  barley  adaptation  and  cultivation  in  this  region  is 
ii. .w  at  hand.     A  large  part  of  tin-  work  has  been  conducted  in  cooperation  with  the 
North  l'  ind  South  Dakota  agricultural  experiment  stations.     With  these 

tigations  a-  a  ba  ipanying  article  has  been  prepared  by  Mr.  Mark  Alfred 

Carleton,  Cerealist  in  Charge  "i  Grain  Investigations,  ami  as  there  appears  to 
immediate  demand  among  the  farmers  "i  this  area  for  such  information,  ii  is  thought 
best  in  publish  it  in  i In-  form  "i  a  circular,     B.  '1'.  Gallow  w.  ' 

[Cin 


6 


BARLEY    CULTURE    IX    THE    NORTHERN    GREAT    PLAINS. 


portion  of  the  Great  Plains,  including  practically  all  of  South  Dakota, 
all  of  North  Dakota  except  the  extreme  eastern  portion,  the  Plains 
area  of  Montana,  and  small  adjacent  portion-  of  Wyoming  and 
Nebraska.  The  discussion  of  barley  culture  in  this  article  must  be 
understood  to  apply  particularly  to  tin-  second  area— that  of  the 
northern  ( treat  Plains. 

In  physical  geography  the  northern  Great  Plains  area  differs  from 
that  of  the  north-central  States  district  approximately  as  follows: 
In  the  latter  district  there  is  much  more  rainfall,  there  are  con- 
siderable areas  of  timber,  and  the  climate  is  fairly  cool:  in  the  north- 
ern Great  Plains  district  the  average  annual  rainfall  is  much  less  than 
in  the  other  district  and  becomes  gradually  -mailer  toward  the  West, 
there  is  very  little  or  no  timber,  and  the  summers  are  hot.  It  is 
probably  largely  due  to  these  differences  in  climate  and  soil  that  there 
:-  a  corresponding  difference  with  respect  to  the  varieties  of  barley 
adapted  to  these  different  districts.  From  the  investigations  already 
mentioned,  it  has  been  quite  thoroughly  demonstrated  that  a-  a 
general  thing  the  six-rowed  barleys  are  much  better  adapted  to  the 
north-central  States  district,  while  in  the1  northern  Great  Plains  the 
two-rowed  barleys  succeed  better. 


COMPARISON    OF  YIELDS    OF    DIFFERENT  VARIETIES    IN  THE 
NORTHERN  GREAT  PLAINS  AREA. 

In  the  following  tables  are  shown  the  comparative  yields  of  a 
number  of  different  varieties  of  barley  at  several  different  experi- 
ment stations.  At  the  State  agricultural  experiment  station  at 
Fargo,  X.  Dak.,  it  is  seen  from  the  table  of  yields  obtained  as  an 
average  of  live-years'  tests  that  the  six-rowed  barleys  have  done  a 
little  better  than  the  two-rowed  varieties.  This  is  in  \{c<\  River 
Valley,  and.  a-  before  stated,  that  valley  appears  to  belong  in  the 
north-central  States  district  as  regards  barlej  adaptation. 

Table  I.       I"  agi  yields  of  varieties  of  barley  foi  I    i  ■      h>    Vo  th  Dakota    I 

cult  II"  1,1  St  n ion. 


N.Dak. 

Variel  y. 

Average 
number 

daj  s 

ma  I  uring 

1  years 

in 
head 

Yield  pel    icn 

i 
sion 
No. 

1902 

1903. 

1907. 

Average, 

li\    < 

107 

-i 

- 

84 

• 

95 
v.', 
94 
83 
81 

6 
1 

6 
6 
6 
2 
2 
2 
2 
6 

63.  1 
55  3 

:,.-».  7 

7.7.  1 

48.  1 

49.  3 

1 

40.  1 

in  2 

■£    i 

40.2 
33.  (I 
35.  4 

1 

30.  2 
27.  2 
31.6 

33.  1 

1 
17.9 

Ml  5 

15  ii 

n  ii 

16  B 
12  0 
16.  1 
17.1 

46.9 
61.2 

£ 

BO  g 
:.4.  3 

ii,  9 
41.0 

42.7 

966 

42.5 

Tl'i 

40.0 

S71 

in  3 

789 
847 

rds      

i]  m  d  Chief   . 

I 

37.  3 

649 

40.  1 

172 

149 
720 

M    1             null- less 

Greal  Beardli         

34.  S 
32.  3 

[Circ.  5] 


BARLEY    I   i    LTURE    IN     ["HE    NORTHERN    GR]   \i     PLAINS.  i 

Prof.  J.  II.  Shepperd,  agriculturist  and  vice-director  of  the  North 
Dakota  Agricultural  Experimenl  Station,  al  Fargo,  writes  as  follows 
<■ :erning  i  liis  matter: 

The  trials  of  the  North  Dakota  Station  have  been  directed  toward  a  study  of  the 
*    *    *     two-rowed  barley  compared  with  the  six-rowed  strain.*  and  a  coinp 
of  yields  with  the  hull-less  and  beardless  sorts.     The  two-rowed  strains    proi 
plumper  berries  and  on  thea\  erage  perhaps  slightly  better  colored  grain.     TheaA  erage 
of  a  five  years'  trial,  however,  with  li\>-  six  rowed  varieties  against  four  two-rowed 
ives  a  difference  of  3.6  bushels  per  acre  in  \  i < •  1  < I  in  favor  of  the  six-rowed  strains. 

It  ina\  well  be  noted  thai  in  these  trials  not I'  the  pedigree  two- 
rowed  varieties  obtained  l>\  the  Department  of  Agriculture  from 
Sweden  have  been  included,  though  these  varieties  in  other  trials  to 
he  mentioned  have  had  great  weight  in  increasing  the  average  of  the 
two  rowed  sorts.  No  results  are  yel  available  of  any  extensive  t rials 
made  at  other  experimenl  stations  in  North  Dakota,  except  for  one 
year,  1907,  at  the  Dickinson  substation,  where  in  trials  of  many  bar- 
le\  varieties  the  two-rowed  varieties  greatly  exceeded  the  six-rowed 
sort-  in  yield  per  acre.  No  trials  have  been  made  of  different  barlevs 
in  the  eastern  portion  of  Montana,  but  at  the  Mate  station  at  Boze- 
man.  where  conditions  influencing  barley  adaptation  are  likely  to  he 
very  similar,  the  results  of  trial-  of  a  number  of  varieties  covering  the 
years  1900  to  1906,  inclusive,  -how  a  considerable  difference  in  the 
average  yield-  in  favor  of  the  two-rowed  varieties.  A  table  giving  a 
comparison  of  the  yields  of  the  two  classes  of  barley  at  this  station 
for  the  year-  mentioned  i-  here  given: 

Table   II  s  "/  th    Montana  An  Eyperim 


"f  \  sirirtv. 


New  Zealand 

2-rowed. . . 
heuri 
Chevalii  I 
I  lei  Norl 

Cull  .  rowed... 

■ 


M  li 


Daws 

l- 

lit} 

111 

51.  1 

112 

111 

50  5 

111 

■'  llull-lcss.  i  Hess. 

These  data  are  calculated  from  the  annual  reports  of  the  Montana 

Agricultural   Experiment  Station  for  the  years   190-1   and    1906.     On 

159  of  the  second  report   a  summary  i-  given  of  the  yield-  of 

different    classes  of  barley,   from   which   it    i-  -ecu   that    the  average 

yield  of  grain  per  acre  in  pounds  for  two-rowed  barleys  for  the  years 

and  1906  was  3,1 6S,  while  thai  of  six-rowed  barleys  (nol  hull- 


8 


BARLEY    CULTURE    IX    THE    NORTHERN    GREAT   PLAINS. 


less)  was  2,496,  or  a  difference  of  672  pounds  per  acre  in  favor  of  the 
two-rowed  barleys. 

The  variety  trials  with  barley  at  the  State  Agricultural  Experi- 
ment Station  at  Brookings,  S.  Dak.,  have  been  very  extensive  and 
interesting,  and  have  covered  the  period  from  1900  to  1907,  inclusive. 
Some  of  the  best  varieties,  however,  were  introduced  much  later  than 
the  others.  In  190-"!  a  severe  hailstorm  destroyed  the  entire  crop  of 
all  small  grains  before  harvest  time.  It  is  only  possible,  therefore,  to 
give  average  yields  that  furnish  any  reliable  information  for  the 
period  of  1904  to  1907,  inclusive.  The  results  of  these  tests  are  strik- 
ingly in  favor  of  the  two-rowed  barley-. 

It  is  worth  while  to  refer  to  these  trials  somewhat  in  detail.  There 
were  a  good  many  more  varieties  of  two-rowed  barleys  grown  than 
of  the  six-rowed  sorts.  The  names  of  the  twenty  best  two-rowed 
varieties  are  here  given  in  the  order  of  yield,  and  also  the  names  of  the 
five  best  six-rowed  varieties  in  the  order  of  vield. 


Table  III. —  Twenty  best   two-rowed   varieti  of  yield  at   th    South    Dakota 

Agricultural  Experiment  Station. 


G.  I. 

No. 


187 
35 


24 
200 
2114 
203 
207 

26 


Swan  Neck 

Chevalier.  -  - . 

Hannchei    -    P    l    Mo  10585 

Chevalier,  S.  I'.  I.  No.  10584. 

Hanna 

Chevalier 

Bohemian 

I  [anna 

Lower  Frankish 

Hanna 


Yield 

G.  I. 

per  acre. 

No. 

46  7 

158 

44.9 

4 1  9 

27 

ll  9 

201 

43.3 

18 

43.  2 

42.8 

0 

41.9 

41.4 

47 

41.3 

178 

Name 


Bavarian 

....do 

Bohemian 

Kitzing 

Golden  Melon 

Princess.  S.  P.  I.  No   10583 

Hanna 

Primus.  S.  P    I    No  10586 

Striegum 

Sidney 


Yield 

per  acre. 


Bushels. 
41.3 
40.0 
39.9 
39.0 
38.6 
38,  6 
38.2 
34.8 
34.1 
33.  9 


T  mi  if.  IV. — Fire  best  six-roicedt  arieties  in  order  ofyii  Id  at  tfu  South  Dakota  .  Igricultural 

I    net  iment  Station. 


G.  I. 

No. 


182 

lsl 


Name. 


i >dessa .... 
Common  six-rowed 
Minnesota  v-' 


*>  leld 
per  acre 

16  6 
11  6 
41.1 


G.  I. 

No 


Name. 


>  leld 

" 


170 

7S 


Manchuria. . 
Sangatsuka. 


39.0 

28.3 


The  average  yield  of  the  live  best  two-rowed  varieties  for  the  four- 
year  period  specified  is  44.9  bushels  and  that  of  the  five  best  six -rowed 
varieties  for  the  -a me  period  is  39.3  bushels,  a  difference  of  5.6  bushels 
in  favor  of  the  two-rowed  variel  ies. 

There  are  several  things  of  interesl  concerning  these  tests.  Though 
the  average  yield  of  the  six-rowed  sorts  is  considerably  lower  than 
thai  of  the  two-rowed  varieties,  "nevertheless  the  Odessa  variety, 
originally  from  Russia,  made  an  average  yield  of  only  one-tenth  of  a 
bushel  less  than  that  of  the  highest  yielding  two-rowed  variety,  the 
Swan   Neck.     Minnesota  No.  6,  which  has  stood  the  highest  in  many 


|:\|;|.I.\    CULTURE    IX    THE    NORTHERN    GREAT    PLA1  '.» 

barley  trials  al  the  Minnesota  Agricultural  Experiment  Station,  ga>  e  a 
yield  hereof  over  5  bushels  per  acre  less  than  that  of  the  highest  yielding 
two-rowed  variety  and  of  the  Odessa  variety  <>f  its  own  group. 
Minnesota  No.  6  is  a  pedigree  variety  of  many  years'  standing,  devel- 
oped from  the  Manchuria.  In  these  same  trials  i  he  Manchuria  variet\  . 
of  the  original  stock  and  not  pure  bred,  made  the  lowest  average  yield 
of  the  five  best  six-rowed  varieties.  An  interesting  feature  is  the 
uniformly  high  yield-  per  acre  of  the  lour  best  two-rowed  varieties, 
which  are  pedigree  barleys  introduced  from  Sweden  through  Mr. 
I).  (I.  Fairchild,  Agricultural  Explorer  of  the  Bureau  of  Plant  [ndus- 
giving  abundant  proof  of  the  value  of  the  production  of  pure 
types  of  barley.  The  Hanna  variety  (G.  I.  No.  24  has  been  widely 
introduced  throughout  South  Dakota  and  has  become  a  rather  popular 
barley,  although  in  these  trials  it  yielded  the  lowest  of  the  five  best 
tu o-rou ed  sorts. 

In  trials  of  a  few  varieties  of  barley  at  the  Highmore,  S.  Dak.,  sub- 
experiment  station  t'or  the  years  1903  to  1906,  inclusive,  the  only 
six-rowed  variety  tested  through  all  these  year-.  Minnesota  Y 
really  made  an  average  yield  of  slightly  more  than  that  of  the  best 
of  the  two-rowed  varieties.  The  difference,  however,  is  ven  slight, 
and  it  is  to  be  noted  that  the  pedigree  varieties  introduced  from 
Sweden,  which  gave  such  high  yield-  at  Brookings,  were  not  included 
in  these  tests  until  the  year  L905.  Such  varieties  as  these  would 
have  to  be  compared  with  Minnesota  No.  6  to  make  a  fair  comparison, 
because  of  the  thorough  breeding  of  Minnesota  No.  6  from  a  -ingle 
original  mother  plant.  AH  hut  one  of  these  Swedish  varieties  during 
the  years  L905  and  1906  gave  yields  considerably  in  exec--  of  Minne- 
-.'I  a  No.  6. 

TWO  ROWED  COMPARED  WITH  SIX  ROWED  BARLEY. 

In  recent  year-  there  ha-  arisen  a  considerable  rivalry  between 
two-rowed  and  six-rowed  barleys,  and  there  ha-  been  much  discus- 
sion a-  to  the  relative  merit- of  these  two  classes  of  barleys.  It  is 
well  known  that  the  two-rowed  barleys  are  generall)  used  in  Germany 
and  are  considered  much  better  than  the  six-rowed  varieties.  In  this 
country  the  six-rowed  varieties  have  been  in  favor.  This  is  no 
doubt  partly  owing  to  the  fad  that  the  six-rowed  barley-  have 
until  recently  been  given  more  attention  by  the  farmers,  and 
have  therefore  obtained  a  foothold  in  this  country.  It  is  only 
recently,  after  the  thorough  investigation  of  many  barley  varie- 
ties already  mentioned,  that  the  difference  in  adaptation  of 
these  two  groups  of  barleys  to  different  portions  of  the  country  has 
been  ascertained.  This  natural  adaptation  of  the  two  groups  to 
different  area-  appear-  to  clear  tin-  situation  nicely,  at  least  from  the 

[Or. 


10  BARLEY    CULTURE   IN    THE    NORTHERN    GREAT   PLAINS. 

agricultural  standpoint.  As  there  seem  in  be  good  arguments  from 
the  commercial  standpoint  for  the  production  of  either  class  of  bar- 
leys there  is  apparently  no  good  reason  why  the  tanner  should  not 
cultivate  the  particular  barley  which  gives  him  the  best  acre  yields, 
and  in  the  region  of  the  northern  Great  Plains  there  is  no  question 
but  that  tin-  class  is  the  two-rowed  barleys. 

BREEDING  BETTER  STRAINS. 

Mention  has  been  made  of  the  superior  productiveness  of  the 
thoroughly  bred  Swedish  barleys  and  of  the  Minnesota  Xo.  t>  pro- 
duced at  the  Minnesota  Experiment  Station,  the  former  being  two- 
rowed  varieties  and  the  latter  representing  the  six-rowed  group. 
From  the  results  shown  to  be  obtained  by  other  barleys,  there  is  not 
the  slighest  doubt  that  the  superior  yields  of  these  highly  bred  bar- 
leys are  due  entirely  to  their  thorough  breeding,  they  having  orig- 
inated from  stock  no  better  than  that  of  the  ordinary  sort-. 

Since  during  recent  years  a  large  part  of  the  attention  of  the  agri- 
cultural experiment  stations  has  been  given  to  adaptation  trial-  of 
many  varieties,  not  much  time  has  yet  been  given  to  breeding  pure 
barley  types  in  this  country.  In  South  Dakota  the  work  has  until 
recently  been  almost  entirely  a  study  of  many  varieties  in  adaptation 
trials.  The  work  of  the  Minnesota  Agricultural  Experiment  Sta- 
tion has  already  been  mentioned.  At  the  State  station  at  Fargo, 
X.  Dak.,  a  great  deal  of  time  has  been  given  to  barley  -election,  and 
two  very  good  pedigree  varieties  have  been  developed  at  that  sta- 
tion: The  Mandscheuri  (Manchuria'.  X.  Dak.  Experiment  Sta- 
tion Xo.  871,  a  six-rowed  variety,  and  the  "Man-ury,"  X.  Dak. 
Experiment  Station  No.  172.  a  two-rowed  variety.  A  number  of 
other  pure  types  which  do  not  Act  appear  to  have  developed  into 
satisfactory  strains,  ready  for  distribution,  are  being  handled  by 
this  experiment  station. 

MAINTAINING  PURE  SEED. 

The  subject  of  get  tine-  unmixed  seed  is  of  the  greatest  importance 
and  should  always  receive  careful  attention.  The  farmer  can  not. 
of  course,  do  accurate  breeding  exactly  according  to  the  methods  em- 
ployed by  the  experiment  stations,  but  he  can  largely  maintain  the 
quality  of  the  strain  or  variety  he  already  possesses,  keeping  it  fairly 
pure,  well  cleaned  and  graded,  and  occasional!)  selecting  the  hot 
plants  from  the  field  for  starting  a  .-mall  seed  plat.  It  is  especially 
important  to  keep  two-rowed  barley  absolutely  separate  from 
six-rowed  barley.  It  is  better  not  to  grow  these  two  kinds  even  on 
the  same  farm.  Many  farmers  over  a  large  area  should  unite  in 
growing  strictly  one  kind  of  barley,  after  being  fairly  sure  that  they 
have  selected  the  one  most  satisfactory. 
[Circ.  i] 


BARLEY    CULTURE    IN    THE    NORTHERN    GREA1     PLAINS.  11 

CULTIVATION. 

S.i  much  instruction  in  the  way  of  cultivation  of  any  crop  depends 
upon  the  conditions  in  particular  localities  thai  it  is  not  wise  to  make 
more  than  a  lew  general  statements  in  respecl  to  this  subject  for  a 
district  of  an)  size.  There  are,  however,  several  principle-  of  a 
eral  nature  to  be  observed.  In  the  first  place,  much  of  the  larger 
portion  of  the  area  of  the  Great  Plains  has  a  comparatively  low 
annual  rainfall,  and  it  l-  therefore  important  to  use  even  measure 
for  the  conservation  of  moisture  in  the  soil.  This  is  to  a  large  ex- 
tent accomplished  by  thorough  surface  cultivation  alter  occasional 
deep  plowings.  A.s  a  rule,  it  is  important  in  this  area  that  all  plow- 
ing for  spring  grains  should  be  done  the  preceding  season,  th 
there  ma\  be  occasional  local  circumstance-  that  would  require  a 
modification  of  this  practice.  After  the  plowing  is  done,  it  is  at  any 
rate  certain  that  occasional  surface  cultivation,  especially  after 
ram-,  is  of  the  greatesl  importance.  It  is  an  excellent  thing  to  have 
barley  follow  a  cultivated  crop,  such  as  Indian  corn.  In  the  western 
and  northern  portions  of  this  area,  some  kind  of  sorghum  may  take 
the  place  of  Indian  coin.  In  the  case  of  a  number  of  experiments 
made  at  several  experiment  stations  in  the  northern  Great  Plains. 
it  ha-  been  found  that  the  yields  of  barley  and  other  small-grain 
crop-  after  com  are  considerably  better  than  those  obtained  even 
after  summer  fallow,  while  at  the  same  time  the  income  from  the 
cultivated  crop  is  obtained  in  addition. 

I  he  rate  of  seeding  will  range  from  one  to  two  bushels,  depending 
upon  the  locality  and  particularly  upon  the  amount  of  rainfall. 
There  i-  no  question  that  seeding  should  he  done  with  a  drill.  A 
much  better  and  more  uniform  stand  is  obtained  in  this  way,  and 
grain  i-  thus  better  protected  from  the  action  of  dry  winds. 
especially  if  drilled  at  righl  angles  to  the  prevailing  direction  of 
the  wind. 

\  already  mentioned,  special  attention  should  he  given  to 
quality  of  the  seed.  Not  onl\  should  the  seed  he  kept  free  from 
mixture  at  thrashing  time  and  well  cleaned  and  graded,  hut  it  is 
usually  advisable  to  use  home-grown  seed  if  it  is  of  good  quality. 
Introduced  -eed  i-  better  only  when  it  represents  some  new  variety 
preferable  to  others  of  the  same  class  or  when  it  happens  to  come  from 

a  district   a  little  better  adapted  for  barley  cultivation. 

When  harle\  i-  -ceded  at  the  ii-md  time,  it  is  harvested  early 
enough  to  allow  the  producer  to  plow  the  stubble  under,  and  as  a 
result  secure  a  better  crop  the  following  season.  Professor  Shepperd 
make-  t  he  following  remark  : 

I  have  known  ;i  fanner  to  start  three  gang  plows  al  work  plowing  behind  the  I  >i  in  lor 
when  cutting  early-sown  barley,  the  gang  plows  turning  over  the  7-1 
by  the  binder.     The  sheaves  fell  uii  the  plowed  land  and 


12  BARLEY    CULTURE    IN    THE    NORTHERN    GREAT    PLAINS. 

avoiding  the  necessity  of  moving  them  again  before  they  were  1  >aded  for  thrashing. 
I  am  assured  that  the  effect  of  this  early  plowing,  which  really  approached  the  average 
summer  fallow,  gave  a  marked  improvement  on  the  next  season's  crop. 

The  young  barley  may  be  cultivated  with  a  harrow  to  greai  advan- 
tage after  attaining  a  height  of  three  or  four  inches,  particularly  if 
this  is  done  after  rains.  The  loss  of  moisture  duo  to  the  formation 
of  a  crust  is  thus  prevented. 

If  possible,  barley  should  not  be  allowed  to  be  discolored  by  ex- 
posure to  wet  weather.  Discoloration  depreciates  its  value  for  com- 
mercial purposes.  The  crop  should  be  harvested  as  soon  as  it  is 
fully  ripe.  If  barley  is  well  stacked  promptly  after  shocking,  the 
color  will  be  preserved,  but  a  short  exposure  in  the  shock  is  fre- 
quently fatal  to  the  good  color  of  the  kernel. 

USES  OF  BARLEY. 

Barley  has  recently  acquired  a  steadier  and  stronger  demand  and 
is  being  more  generally  used  every  year.  It  is  growing  in  favor  for 
feeding  to  stock,  especially  for  hog  feeding.  Barley-fed  bacon  is  con- 
sidered to  be  of  much  better  quality  than  that  produced  from  corn. 

This  crop  has  recently  been  more  remunerative  to  the  acre  than 
either  wheat  or  flax.  It  is  a  crop  thai  lits  in  with  other  small  grains 
to  good  advantage  at  the  harvest  and  thrashing  season  because  of  its 
early  maturity.  Professor  Shepperd  is  of  the  opinion  that  "barley 
as  a  grain  for  stall-feeding  live  stock  in  North  Dakota  seems  destined 
to  fill  the  place  occupied  by  corn  in  Stntes  farther  south.  Feeding 
trials  with  horses,  cattle,  sheep,  and  hogs  at  this  station  demonstrate 
its  value  in  the  ration  of  each  of  these  classes  of  live  stock.'' 

Approved: 

James  Wilson 

Si  en  /a /it  of  Ai/i  icultun  . 

Washington,  1 ».  C,  April  6,  1908. 

[Circ.  o] 

o 


UNIVERSITY  OF  FLORIDA 


3  1262  08929  0034 


